2026 Arlington Million picks, odds: Horse racing writer has best bets for Saturday's race

Burnham Square can strengthen his case as the best turf horse in the country when he leaves the starting gate in the 2026 Arlington Million on Saturday at Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Burnham Square has six wins in 14 career starts and enters the Arlington Million on a three-race winning streak. For Saturday he has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Arlington Million odds. Dresden Row (7-2), Integration (4-1), Test Score (9-2) and Fort Washington (5-1) round out the top five choices in the seven-horse Arlington Million field. (Mercante reportedly will scratch.) Post time for the race is 5:52 p.m. ET.

With several talented runners set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2026 Arlington Million picks or horse racing predictions considering his track record.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

Menez excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And earlier this year he struck big on Fountain of Youth day, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.

Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Arlington Million field and revealed his picks. One surprise: Menez's top pick is not Burnham Square, even though he is the 5-2 favorite. 

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who is the "best value in the race." Menez is including this horse in his 2026 Arlington Million bets, and so should you.

So which horse wins the 2026 Arlington Million? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Arlington Million picks and bets, all from the expert who finished 115th out of 643 entries in last year's Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.

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